NORTH MACEDONIA - SOME FACTS

As you know I think we all have to know more about the many countries in Europe, which are our neighbours and partners – countries we are working closely with every day in EU and NATO.  We should know, who they are, what they stand for, and what is important for them. In this way it will be easier to understand them and cooperate with them.   


I have earlier written about Italy, France, Belgium, Ireland, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Hamburg and Bavaria.


Today I want briefly to write about one of the newest countries in Europe, North Macedonia. Why?  Because they will have parliamentary elections in a few months.  They should have taken place last Sunday, but were postponed due to the pandemic. And I also want to write about it, because the country has just become member no. 30 of NATO. And it will in the very near future start negotiations about membership of EU.


North Macedonia has a landlocked area of 25.700 sq.km ( about 20 % smaller than Belgium ), and it has 2 million inhabitants. Its capital is Skopje.  It became very known in 1963, when a huge earthquake destroyed 85% of the city and killed 1070 people. A big international relief initiative helped the city back to normal again.


The country was earlier one of ex-Yugoslavia’s six provinces.  It has borders with Kosova, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania.


Its population is Slavic Macedonians ( 64%), Albanians (25 %) and Turks (4%). Macodonian and Albanian are both official languages in the country.


The country’s flag is a yellow sun on a red background – with eight sunbeams going out from it.  


The country has a very interesting history, which in many ways has links to the antique history of Greece. This is reflected in the new name of the country, North Macedonia. The northern part of Greece is called Macedonia.  It was in this area the famous king and general Alexander the Great reigned and lived in the years 356-323 BC. He brought not only the whole of Greece together, but most of the then known world all the way to India under his rule.  He has left many traces.


Another very well know person, Mother Teresa, is born in Skopje.  She belonged to the Albanian population and lived in the years 1910-97. She was a Catholic and lived and worked most of her life among the poor in Calcutta in India. That is why she is now Saint Teresa of Calcutta.


If you want to follow developments in North Macedonia you can do it by reading two English language newspapers on the internet:


SKOPJE DIEM:   www.skopjediem.com

SCOOP – Investigative Journalism:   http://en.scoop.mk

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